Teachers’ job action being preserved for the ages

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SOUTH RIVER – There’s a special dedication in this year’s high school yearbooks.

“There’s going to be a whole spread on the walkout and the teachers to explain why the yearbook looks like it does,” explained Almaguin Highlands Secondary School student and yearbook editor Myranda St. Onge.

As the deadline to complete the publication is fast approaching, St. Onge and her team are working overtime to compile the book that will preserve students’ memories of the 2012-2013 academic year for a lifetime.

“We have a lot of dedicated people working on it,” she said.

“It’s all I think about. It’s my baby,” she added with a laugh.

Back in December, St. Onge wasn’t so optimistic.

As the students walked out of their classes on Dec. 7 in protest of Bill 115, also known as the Putting Students First Act, St. Onge said she wasn’t sure there would be a yearbook following backlash by teachers.

The Act was put in place to intercept an automatic wage increase and additional bankable sick days due to take place Sept. 1.

Additionally, the Act stripped teachers of their right to collectively bargain prompting them to protest the only way they legally could, by refusing to participate in voluntary activities, including after hour supervision on projects like the yearbook.

“This has had a huge impact on yearbook committee because we don’t have a teacher stay late after class with us,” said St. Onge, during the walkout, which was one of many taking place at schools all over the province that same week. “We have to work from home on laptops, for those of us who have laptops. We’re not properly equipped.”

Students were left to their own devices as of Dec. 10, leaving athletic teams and clubs on hiatus until teachers’ unions announced extracurriculars would be reinstated mid-February after Kathleen Wynne replaced Dalton McGuinty as Ontario premier. Some of the school’s sports teams were able to compete successfully during the season using parent volunteers as coaches.

During the walkout St. Onge said the lack of sports and club activities would make the yearbook tricky to fill, but now she says things are looking up.

“I don’t think the yearbook will be skimpy,” she said. “We basically almost gave up on the yearbook, but now that sports are back it’s filling up. It’s just not as many (teams) as usual.”

According to principal Donna Breault, the school’s star track and field team is revving up for the season.

“The track team will have to use the old field again until the grass comes up (at the new school), but they’re getting started. They haven’t missed anything,” she said.

The school’s track team has been named Muskoka-Parry Sound track and field champion for nearly four decades in a row.

St. Onge said the delay in content and supervision means the yearbook won’t be finished before the end of the school year.

“I’m probably going to have to go into the summer with it, which means some of the students won’t get their yearbook until after they graduate,” she said.